Total pages in book: 106
Estimated words: 102833 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 514(@200wpm)___ 411(@250wpm)___ 343(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 102833 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 514(@200wpm)___ 411(@250wpm)___ 343(@300wpm)
I nod in understanding, not ready for my life to be over yet. If I die, who will protect our mom and sister? Dominick tries, but Andrey has him up his ass, preparing him to take over the company. And anytime Dominick goes against him, he threatens to take it all away.
“You can walk home,” Andrey says, putting his gun away and unlocking the car door. “It will give you time to think about how you’re going to make better choices that don’t embarrass our name.”
Mom looks like she wants to argue, but I shake my head, silently telling her not to. It’s better when she doesn’t argue with him. It saves me from having to save her when Andrey gets violent.
Once they’re gone, I grab my backpack that fell on the ground and sling it over my shoulder. I could call Dominick to pick me up, but then he’ll ask questions I don’t want to answer right now. It’ll put him in an uncomfortable position between having my back and kissing Andrey’s ass so that when Andrey’s buried six feet under one day, we’ll be able to take over the business.
So, instead, I walk to the store to get a drink to delay going home. Andrey might’ve held himself back in the school parking lot, but once I get home, he’ll finish this conversation. He always does.
“Hey, Antonov,” a voice calls out.
I glance over and find Anthony Rothschild standing with a couple of guys. His father, Joseph, works with mine, but their relationship is strictly business. I don’t think my dad really has any friends. Just people who fear him.
“I heard your daddy was beating you up,” he taunts, pulling out his phone and showing me a recent social media post.
Sure enough, there’s a video of Andrey hitting me. I can’t see who posted it, but whoever it was must’ve been in the parking lot with us.
Great. That’s going to piss Andrey off even further.
“Mind your own fucking business,” I grumble.
“Your family is my business,” Anthony says, walking over to me. “Especially since, one day, we’ll be family.”
“What the fuck are you talking about?”
“Ignore him.”
I look over and find my best friend, Lorenzo Russo, sauntering up to us.
“He’s just talking shit, as usual.” He glares at Anthony, who laughs.
“I’m not talking anything but the truth,” Anthony says. “Didn’t your dad tell you?” He smirks at me. “Or was he too busy beating the hell out of you?”
He chuckles, and it takes everything in me not to beat him to death.
“Oh, wait.” He snaps his fingers. “I forgot—you’re such a loser that your dad doesn’t want you anywhere near the business.” He looks at Lorenzo. “But I’m surprised Giuseppe hasn’t told you,” he says, referring to Lorenzo’s dad.
“Quit talking crap and just say whatever it is you need to say,” I snap, sick of his shit.
All our fathers—Andrey, Joseph, and Giuseppe—used to be best friends until Joseph hooked up with Maria behind Giuseppe’s back, which resulted in Anthony.
The betrayal ruined the friendship, but our fathers—always putting business first—remained business partners, refusing to give up the power, money, and control they had been accumulating in Harbor Point. But according to Dominick, Andrey and Giuseppe have been trying to push Joseph out little by little.
“I’m going to marry Brielle,” Anthony says with a smug look on his face.
“Bullshit!” I bark. “My sister’s only in kindergarten, you fucking perv!”
I go to attack him, but Lorenzo holds me back.
“Not now.” Anthony rolls his eyes. “When she’s eighteen. And when I marry her, we’ll be family.” His gaze moves over to Lorenzo. “And Dominick has to marry Daniella,” he says, referring to Lorenzo’s baby sister.
“Stop your fucking lies,” Lorenzo says, “or I’m going to let Matteo beat your dumbass into this sidewalk.”
“I’m not lying.” Anthony cackles. “Don’t worry, Matty boy. I won’t beat your sister the way your dad beats your mom, but I’ll make sure to fuck her.”
“You perverted fuck!” I yell, going after him again.
This time, Lorenzo doesn’t hold me back. I rain hit after hit on Anthony, not stopping until I’m being pulled off of him by a big-ass guy I don’t know.
“Stop it,” he demands.
“No! He’s talking shit about my sister!” I try to go back after Anthony, who’s lying on the ground, bleeding all over the place and threatening to tell his dad like the little bitch he is.
“Do I need to call the police?” another gentleman asks, standing in front of the store door.
“No, it’s over,” the big guy says. “Let’s go.”
“Fuck that!” I bark.
“Let’s go,” the guy repeats, pulling me away by the back of my shirt.
“Where?”
“You’ll see.”
He continues to drag me away with Lorenzo following.
But when we get over to his shitty car, Lorenzo eyes it up and down and says, “Hey, uh, I gotta get to my dad’s office. You know he gets pissy when I’m late after school. You coming, Matteo?”